Passenger slumps, dies at Lagos airport

There was pandemonium on Monday at the arrival hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos when an intending passenger collapsed and died while waiting to collect the vaccination Card from Port Health official.

The man, Akunne Osei, a Nigerian of middle age who resided in Accra arrived Lagos for business transactions aboard an Arik Air flight on Friday, and was about to fly back to Accra for medical check- up when he slumped and died.

Staff and passengers immediately fled the scene and abandoned the man as they feared that the man might have been affected with Ebola virus.His body was covered by an orange coloured cloth. A female relative of the man, who was crying, was saying “Ceekay, please get up, “Ceekay, please get up.”

A statement released by the General Manager, Corporate Communication, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Mr Yakubu Dati, said the passenger tested negative to the ebola virus when tested at the airport.

“FAAN wishes to inform the public that a Nigerian passenger, residing in Accra, who arrived Lagos for business transactions aboard an Arik Air flight on Friday August 8, 2014, has died at the Murtala Mohammad Airport, Ikeja, on his way back to Accra,” the statement said.

“The passenger, Osei, took ill on Saturday August 9 and started stooling. When the situation got worse, he called his doctor in Accra, who instructed him to return to Ghana immediately for further treatment.

“During boarding formalities for his return trip to Accra at the international terminal of MMA, Osei, who had obviously become weak at this time, was subjected to Ebola Virus test by port health officials, the result of which was negative. No further attention was paid to him after his Ebola Virus result read negative but the passenger later slumped and died around the port health office.”